The City of Columbus is gearing up for a busy spring and summer of road work. Although the long term impact of the coronavirus pandemic is unknown – and some state projects are already being impacted because of a projected loss of gas tax funds – work is continuing on the local projects that were already in the city’s pipeline.

Work started earlier this month on $10 million worth of improvements to Sullivant Avenue, including new sidewalks, improved lighting and traffic signals, and bump outs to slow cars and shorten the distance for pedestrians crossing the street.

A redesign of Hudson Street between I-71 and Cleveland Avenue is also moving forward. The project, which was first announced by Mayor Ginther at his State of the City address in February, calls for a new sidewalk on the north side of the street and a 12-foot-wide shared use path along the south side. New curbs, street trees and traffic lights are also a part of the project, along with a new water main and storm sewers.

Right-of-way plans are being finalized now and the relocation of power poles along the corridor is scheduled to start this summer, according to the city, although the bulk of the work on Hudson will not start until the summer of 2021.

Here’s the latest on several other road projects. Information provided by the Columbus Department of Public Service:

The last phase of the Short North streetscape improvements is continuing along High Street, between Second and Ninth avenues. Utility relocations have already taken place, and work on new curbs and sidewalks is now ramping up. Scheduled completion date: fall of 2020.

Construction will start soon on the reconstruction of Medina Avenue between Hudson Street and Briarwood Avenue. New curbs, sidewalks and ADA-compliant ramps will make the street a safer way for pedestrians to access the new Linden Park and community center. Scheduled completion date: fall of 2020.

The South Hamilton Road corridor from I-70 to just past Refugee Road is getting an upgrade, with work scheduled to start this month. The road is being widened and new lighting and storm water infrastructure will be installed. A sidewalk will be built on the east side of the road and a shared use path on the west side. Scheduled completion date: late spring of 2022.

Work is scheduled to start this summer on a section of North Hamilton Road, between Morse Road and Preserve Crossing. Two lanes will be added to the road, one in each direction, along with a sidewalk on one side and a shared-use path on the other. Scheduled completion date: summer of 2022.

James Road between Livingston Avenue and Main Street will be rebuilt. Sidewalks and curbs will be replaced, and new ADA-compliant ramps, traffic signals and street lighting added, as well as storm water and water line improvements. Scheduled completion date: late spring of 2021.

Lazelle Road is also being widened, a change that will require the rebuilding of two railroad bridges. South Old State Road will be relocated and a roundabout built where it intersects with Lazelle, and a new traffic signal will be installed at the Flint Road intersection. Like the other widenings, this project calls for a new sidewalk (on the north side of Lazelle) and a shared use path (on the south). Scheduled completion date: a portion in fall of 2021, the rest in late spring of 2022.

A shared use path is being constructed on the west side of Wilson Road, between Sullivant Avenue and Broad Street. A raised grass median will be installed between Fremont Street and Wilson Park Way to allow for the path to cross over to Fremont. Scheduled completion date: late summer of 2020.

The city’s annual resurfacing program is also getting started. Some streets from the 2019 list that crews didn’t get to due to weather are now being tackled, while the 2020 program calls for a total of 102 streets to be resurfaced.

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Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He grew up in Grandview Heights and has a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from OSU.

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Brent Warren is a staff reporter for Columbus Underground covering urban development, transportation, city planning, neighborhoods, and other related topics. He grew up in Grandview Heights and has a Master's Degree in City and Regional Planning from OSU.